Wedding Trends That Take The Cake

There are several things you should consider when choosing your wedding reception location. Shopping for your site is a lot like finding a mate–you obviously want charm and personality–but make sure that all of your needs are met. Looks aren’t everything! Use these tips to help you to find your perfect match.

What’s your budget?

If you’re planning a wedding reception of about 200 – 300 guests, you might expect to spend between $10,000 – $16,000 for the reception hall, your food, your bar service and any additional reception hall rentals. Use this handy budget guide to create a realistic budget for your wedding and reception.  Once you know how much you have allocated to spend, you’ll be able to shop around for the best location within your budget.

What is the size of your guest list?

First, make sure the room is large enough to accommodate the number of people on your guest list. The space will look large, when empty, but wedding essentials–such as tables, chairs, a buffet, a bar, the band or DJ and the dance floor–will take up a lot of space. Also, you’ll want to make sure that your guests have plenty of elbowroom. To get an idea of the actual “living space” of your venue, ask if you can visit the reception site while another wedding is being set up.

What’s your style?

When considering reception site, consider the color palette of your party. Your site doesn’t have to be done in the exact colors as your planned decorations, but it shouldn’t clash either. Also, consider your theme. Besides the basic banquet hall, you might consider a country club, a mansion, a museum or other venue that suits your wedding reception theme a bit better than the typical site. Last, try to visit the reception site at the same time of day that you’ve chosen for your reception, so you can get a feel for exactly what the lighting will look like.

Do any of your guests have special needs?

When choosing your venue, take into consideration any special needs that your guests might have. If you have elderly guests or guests in wheelchairs, make sure that there are bathroom facilities available to them. You don’t want them to have to travel up and down stairs to get where they need to go.

Are there enough parking spaces?

Make sure your reception site has ample parking or is near a parking garage or a street where it’s legal to park. If parking is a problem at your ideal location, look for other ways to get your guests to the reception. Your site might have a shuttle or van service available to take your guests from wedding to reception and back. If not, you’ll have to make these arrangements yourself.

Read next week’s post, “Wedding Reception Planning: Questions to Ask before booking your Location,” for great tips on what to ask your potential reception site managers.

Check out Best Little Wedding Shop for Discount Wedding Invitations.

You want your guests to have a great time at your wedding reception, so you’ve spent some time thinking about the music that you’d like to have your band or DJ play. And it’s a good idea. After all, you want to have the perfect songs for your First Dance, your Daddy and Daughter dance and your Last Dance. 

But…have you given any thought to songs that you DON’T want played at your reception? No? Well, you may want to consider adding these songs to your  “DO NOT PLAY” list:

YMCA, the Macarena, the Hokey Pokey and the Chicken Dance…Sure your guests all know the moves, but these dances are not the most flattering for guests dressed for elegance. Do you really want to see your relatives swiveling their hips and flappin’ their arms?

Locomotion, Cha Cha Slide and Limbo Rock…Again, these songs bring out the teenage dancer in all of us, but, again, some of your guests are a tad further from their teen years than others. People could get hurt!

Mony Mony (Billy Idol) and Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler)…These songs are ones that everyone loves to try to sing. They also love making up their own…objectionable lyrics…to them too. Do you really want Aunt Bertha subjected to that?

Stayin’ Alive…This Bee Gees classic brings back memories of John Travolta’s classic hustle moves, but there aren’t too many of your guests that will know more than one dance move to this song…Yep, that’s the one!

Who Let the Dogs Out? (Baha Men) and Everybody Have Fun Tonight (Wang Chung) …Yikes! I’m not sure how these songs ever became popular in the first place!

My Humps (Black Eyed Peas)…Again, this song may be objectionable to some of your guests. Think teens and twenty-somethings dancing to this song in front of grandma! Not a pretty thought, huh?

Every Breath You Take (The Police)…A little stalkerish, don’t you think?

Lips of an Angel (Hinder) and Jesse’s Girl (Rick Springfield)…These songs are about cheating and lusting after your friend’s girl. A bit inappropriate for a wedding, don’t you think?

Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton)…Sure it’s a beautiful song, but a bit of a downer for a wedding reception.

White Wedding (Billy Idol)…This song is about Idol’s hate for his sister’s fiance. Other hate songs you might want to skip include Love Stinks, I F**king Hate You, You Gave Love a Bad Name and Tainted Love.

For a great selection of Save the Dates, visit Best Little Wedding Shop.

Lisa Bakewell

Planning your wedding reception seating may seem like a daunting task…especially if your wedding is large…but creating a satisfactory seating plan is relatively easy if you follow these tips:

Number of guests

You’ve sent out your invitations, and you’ve received your RSVP’s for the reception, but before you can start worrying about who is going to sit where, talk with your venue coordinator about the actual space that’s available for guest tables. Keep in mind where the head table will be positioned, as well as the music, cake table, buffet tables, etc. Also, ask the coordinator for his/her advice on which table shapes work best for the number of guests you wish to invite. Keep in mind, too, that it’s better to have fewer tables that are full, than many tables with just a few guests. Last, remember it’s beneficial to have some extra seats available for unexpected guests.

Head Table

The head table, or top table, is generally located in a prime location at the reception venue…typically in the front. This table is reserved for you, your groom, your wedding party and possibly your parents. If your parents do not sit at the head table with you, make sure that they are directly in front of you.

Guest Tables

Apart from the head table, guests traditionally sit at round tables. Have your family tables closest to the head table, and follow these tips for the rest of your guests:

• Keep couples, families, co-workers, etc., together. Those who share common interests will converse freely and be at ease. Small children should be seated with their parents, too, so that they will be supervised.
• Keep in mind that age is a factor. Seat elderly people together and other guests of similar ages together. They’ll have more in common.
• Solo guests should be dispersed throughout your seating chart, not thrown together at one table. Make sure they have something in common with those that they are seated with, though. One to two single people per table should be sufficient.
• Keep divorced men and women separated to avoid conflict. Even if they get along, you’ll probably still want to separate them, so that painful memories aren’t triggered, which may cause conflict.
• Guests with special needs will need extra consideration when you’re planning your seating arrangement. Obviously, walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, etc. need special attention, but, also, keep in mind that your elderly guests will need to be seated in close proximity to the restrooms. Moms with babies, too, should be placed in an area where they can make a quick exit, if necessary.
• Balance your tables with even numbers of males and females.
• And, as a final note, check with your parents for any possible seating errors. There may be some tensions between people that you are not aware of, and seating them together might cause a problem.

For discount wedding invitations, visit Best Little Wedding Shop!

Lisa Bakewell

Want to make your wedding anniversary a party–every year? Then consider having your wedding on New Year’s Eve! As a bonus, it will be very unlikely that either you or your spouse will forget your anniversary.

Arrange to have an early evening ceremony, so that you can plan to get your personal New Year’s Eve party started around 8pm. Not only will you and your spouse have a great time; your friends and relatives will have an awesome New Year’s Eve party to attend where everyone knows plenty of other people.

After the wedding ceremony, and prior to your New Year’s Eve party/reception, you and your groom should change into party clothes. You could wear a cocktail gown (the more glitter, the better), and, if you’d like, your groom can change into a suit instead of wearing his tux.

Good colors for a New Year’s Eve wedding reception might be silver, gold, white and black. These colors are very sophisticated and will go well with nearly any décor.

Consider opting for a nice buffet of appetizers and finger foods instead of serving a dinner. Veggies, fruits, crackers, meats, and cheese trays are perfect for this occasion. You might also include finger foods such as Buffalo wings and shrimp. These foods lend themselves to being eaten while standing, so your guests will feel more in the New Year’s party mode.

Plan on offering a fully stocked bar, since you won’t be buying a full meal. Make sure that you include non-alcoholic beverages, as well, and provide champagne for the mid-night toast. Using plastic wineglasses instead of champagne flutes for the toast will help to keep expenses down.

You’ll want your table décor and reception decorations to be very festive. Consider using confetti on the tables with candles that can be used to set the mood for the mid-night toast when the lights are turned down. Also, baskets of noisemakers and hats make nice table decorations and double as wedding favors and toasting gear when the time is right.

Make sure that your DJ or band has Old Lang Syne prepared for the mid-night festivities. Another nice feature would be a large screen television so that you can watch the ball drop at mid-night.

Last, make sure that you provide plenty of coffee and pizza to your guests before they leave your party. It would be a shame if anyone was pulled over by police when leaving your reception. Better yet, reserve a block of rooms at a nearby hotel, and have your guests stay.

A final note, when planning to have a New Year’s Eve wedding reception, you should give your guests plenty of time to plan for it. Make sure that you send out your Save the Date cards well in advance.

Lisa Bakewell

Make a food budget. This will help narrow your options for the cuisine. Once you decide on the total dollar amount you’d like to spend on food, divide that number by the number of guests you’re expecting. This will give you the dollar amount per person/per plate to shoot for when making your food choices.

Choose traditional meal service. Today’s caterers are acutely aware of the aversion to food that appears to be mass-produced, so your goal should be to have food that looks freshly made and individually prepared. Make sure to communicate this clearly to the caterer.

Make sure that the service is not rushed. You don’t want your guests to feel rushed while eating their food.

Offer a buffet. If you’re planning a buffet, the most important question to ask when you’re discussing the menu is whether you will be charged per person or by the plate. “Per plate” means that you will pay each time a person is served, so a per person charge will be more affordable.

Consider food stations. If you want first-rate food, but you’re concerned that it will be cost prohibitive, consider food stations. Doing this will allow you to forgo most of the wait staff you would require for traditional meal service, so there should be a significant cost savings in labor.

Food stations can vary from the traditional to the more eclectic. Feel free to be creative with your food choices, but keep in mind that creativity can sometimes be expensive.

To keep the cost down, ask for a price breakdown per menu item based on the number of guests you expect.

Ask your guests. Consider inserting a short survey in your wedding invitation announcements asking your guests to choose their favorites from a dozen food stations. This will serve two purposes. First, it will dictate which foods you choose for the stations, and second, it will help tally the favorites, so you can help your caterer determine food quantities for the various stations.

Invitations (click on photo)

Pick a couple of your own favorites. Make sure you include foods that you love. Enjoying your wedding day is a priority, and it will help to make your menu more personal.

Make it brunch, lunch or dessert. Consider hosting your reception earlier in the day. Lunch menus are equally satisfying but cheaper than dinner options. You could even consider a brunch or even a dessert reception.

Do it yourself. If you’re on a tight budget, consider a do-it-yourself wedding reception. Order several meat and cheese trays from a deli or supermarket–or make your own.

Make it a potluck. Potluck receptions used to be the norm, but now they’re considered the retro chic way to celebrate the coming together of a couple. Just ask your guests to bring food instead of a gift. Many guests will be pleased–even relieved–to have this choice. Find out ahead of time what everyone plans to bring, so you’ll be sure to have enough food–and enough variety.

Go ethnic. Many ethnic foods are less expensive than the standard fare of beef or chicken. Also, serving ethnic cuisine gives you an instant theme to build your reception around.

Cook it outside. If your reception will be held outside, consider firing up the grill for barbecue or cooking pork and hosting the ultimate pig roast.

Drink, and eat sweets. Rather than have a meal at the reception, why not have a champagne and cake or dessert reception? Check out this list of Top 10 Inexpensive Champagnes and Sparkling Wines.

Looking for some good wedding menu ideas? Check out menu ideas from Naperville Catering Company, Chef by Request.

Lisa Bakewell